Behind The Darkness and The Light
by Kalianah
Summary: How do we choose the person we love? If we're drawn to both the darkness and the light, how do we decide what's right? Newly minted MIT graduate Felicity Smoak meets Oliver Queen on New Years Eve in Verdant, a few months after his return. A push-and-pull story between The Arrow, Oliver Queen, and Felicity Smoak.
1. New Year's Eve

**Disclaimer:**The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on the CW or DC's _Arrow _intellectual property.

**Behind The Darkness and The Light**

"_**I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses."  
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra**_

"Felicity, hurry up!" Caitlin yelled from the kitchen of Felicity's home.

There was a loud bump against the wall followed by a sharp, "Shoot snickers!" beyond it.

Felicity was balancing again on one foot, attempting to put on her other high heel while standing up. The second time she fell into the wall she just stayed there, using it to balance her body, which had never been very good at it on its own. Caitlin Snow stepped into her bedroom curiously, after hearing the thump once again.

Surveying the whirlwind that was Felicity Smoak getting dressed up in her bedroom, she smirked at her friend who was pushing off the wall after having finally put on the second black pump. "You know it's actually easier to just sit _down _while putting on your shoes, right?" Caitlin said, one eyebrow raised.

"It's part of my New Year's Resolution to not sit down so much, don't you remember? Besides, it'll help me with my balance and ankle strength or…something," Felicity waved her hand, knowing exactly what she was trying to say, but not being entirely successful in verbalizing it - a common problem that Caitlin was thankfully aware of.

Caitlin just sighed, "It's not even New Year's yet, the time for resolutions is tomorrow! Tonight it's time to _party." _She pumped her fist in the air, just like they did in college when they crashed frat parties and infiltrated the "inner sanctum"; Felicity returned her friends smile, following up with a cheesy "Party on, dude!"

The girls laughed together in their shared moment of remembrance; they had been friends and roommates throughout the last three years of college at MIT and had both moved to Starling since they had been offered jobs at Queen Consolidated right after graduation - they would start next week and it was the only reason Caitlin had convinced Felicity to go out tonight - a last hoorah of their jobless freedom.

Just then a honk sounded from the front lawn and Felicity jumped a little, "Oh! That's gotta be the cab, time to go - you have your ID, right?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes and followed her bubbly best friend outside, not bothering to respond since Felicity had already moved on to check the security system and the window sensors. Her friend definitely thought she was a bit crazy about security in her home, but Felicity had heard bad things about Starling lately and she felt one could never be too certain.

She ran down the driveway once everything was cleared and slid into the cab next to her friend, "Hi! We'd like to go to Verdant please."

The driver just grunted and nodded; she snapped her seatbelt into placed and fidgeted with her gold clutch. She was slightly nervous about going out tonight - New Year's Eve had always been a night where she stayed in with a pint of Mint Chocolate Chip and watched the ball drop. Felicity had enough horror stories about NYE from her mother and people in college, thank you very much. She didn't even know how they were going to get home - cabs were hard to find on these nights, and Verdant wasn't exactly in a good part of town.

She felt a hand over hers, stilling her fingers that had been unlocking and locking her clutch. "It'll be fine, we're here to have fun. Don't worry about what comes next," Caitlin said, slightly worried for her friend - she knew going out tonight might be pushing it, but this was their first New Years in Starling - newly minted graduates from MIT and they were looking to party.

Caitlin looked at her friend who was chewing on her lip nervously; well, _one _of them was looking to party at least.

The cab stopped in front of the industrial building and Felicity handed him her card while Caitlin got out and headed straight for the entrance.

"Be safe tonight, miss," the driver said as Felicity opened the door. She nodded her thanks and followed Caitlin to her place in line.

It was a little over two hours before midnight and already there was a long line in front of the club; it was a huge place, but fire code was the law and Tommy Merlyn apparently didn't want to push _that_ particular one.

Felicity could hear the music pulsing from inside and gradually loosened up, laughing at some remark Caitlin had made to the guy next to them. It was likely going to be awhile before they even got in, she thought, so might as well enjoy those they're stuck by.

She heard a gasp from Caitlin as a black car pulled up in front of the club and Felicity felt her arm being grabbed, forcing her to turn around.

As she did so, her eyes locked onto the body of Oliver Queen, heir to the Queen family fortune and prodigal son returned from five years stranded on an island. Felicity had heard about the story, having arrived to Starling with Caitlin around the time the news hit - it had been everywhere, but she hadn't seen him up close before.

He was standing next to the car talking to his driver, absentmindedly buttoning his suit jacket; Felicity bit her lip watching him and found herself staring dreamily at his face. Light scruff, strong jawline, short dirty blonde hair, strong frame; he moved and she was pulled from her daze enough to notice that he was staring at her, too.

Oliver tilted his head as he walked towards her, still returning the stare she couldn't find herself to break even now.

He finally stood in front of her, the people around her had gone silent in anticipation, and he held out his hand, "Hi. I'm Oliver Queen."

Felicity's mouth opened a little and she stood there for a few seconds longer than normal; she saw Oliver's stoic face start to break as his lips twitched into an almost-smile and she knew how ridiculous she looked right now.

Shaking her head she grabbed his hand, the grip immediately tightening - his on instinct to test her, hers in mindless reaction - "Of course, you're Mr. Queen, I know who you are - I mean why wouldn't I? You're so famous, and you were dead for five y-" Oliver stilled her rambling as he brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it softly - again rendering Felicity shocked and silent, mouth opening in response.

"You and your friend are welcome to join me; the VIP level always has room for lovely ladies." His voice was so smooth that Felicity felt his words washing over her body and she shuddered.

She felt a poke on her back from Caitlin and snapped out of it, "Oh! Yes, definitely. Thank you that would be awesome - right Caitlin?"

Her friend just smiled and nodded, guiding Felicity in the direction Oliver had gestured to as he patiently stood there, straight face back on. Felicity wondered how long he could keep it like that, I mean he had barely smiled at her, which she felt was probably a really good feat of strength, but how could he keep such a serious face so long? What about during sex?

"Pardon?" Oliver's voice spoke from her side and she jumped, once again being taken by surprise; he was so _quiet. _

"Sorry, what?" Felicity gulped, hoping she hadn't actually said anything out loud - but knowing her, it had definitely happened.

Oliver stared at her for a few brief moments, his eyes locked on hers, before it seemed like a decision was made and he shook his head, "Nothing, please excuse me. The VIP level can be accessed over here." Felicity smiled and followed him, grateful that he had chosen not to bring up her embarrassing word vomit.

When they finally got upstairs, Felicity and Caitlin immediately went to the long couch that spiraled against the railing, and they looked down - absolutely mesmerized by the colors swirling and lights reflecting off of dresses and jewelry alike.

"Please feel free to use this all evening, you are welcome to come and go as you please," Oliver spoke from behind the girls. Felicity watched him walk up to her, Caitlin still watching the scene below, and gulped quietly.

"I don't believe I got your name," he said and Felicity blinked.

"Oh! It's Felicity," she said excitedly and as she saw his mouth open to respond she blurted out, "Smoak! Felicity Smoak. Not that you need to know my last name, but seeing as how I already know yours I didn't think it was right to have you not know mine."

Oliver stood there, his face loosening up in front of her and she just _knew _he was almost smiling at her - _again. _

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Felicity Smoak. Enjoy your evening." He nodded at Caitlin in goodbye, and flashed Felicity a smile as she watched his entire demeanor shift as he walked down to the club floor. Felicity couldn't shake the feeling that the smile she had just received was not the one she had almost seen earlier.

* * *

It was 11:34 and Caitlin had long since run off to the dance floor with a handsome man who had swept her off her feet upstairs in the VIP lounge.

"Wish someone would sweep me off _my _feet," Felicity said out loud, not bothering to mumble or censor herself since no one else was around.

"Do you mean that literally or figuratively, Felicity Smoak?" A voice said from behind her, a bit of slur and revelry in his tone.

Her face scrunched up in her best 'oh _crap' _face as she turned around to see Oliver Queen once again standing in front of her, victim of her lack of mental filter. This time, though, it was apparent that he was under the thrall of the party - drunk, maybe, or just tipsy enough to remind her that he had apparently been a rather large billionaire party playboy before his disappearance.

"Uhm…figuratively?" She answered his question with a confused tone and was rewarded with another smile as he just held out his hand and raised his eyebrows, tilting his head towards the dance floor.

Felicity grinned at him, no longer completely awestruck in his presence, and took his hand; as they walked down the stairs with 15 minutes until midnight, she felt his hand against the small of her back. It was warm, but the pressure was what lit her body up with fire.

When they reached the bottom, he spun her around and dragged her to the dance floor with a look that made Felicity gulp. She didn't really understand why he was here with her at this moment, but with the alcohol that had been pumping through her veins - and she suspected his as well - she didn't care to find out.

Arms went around his neck with deliberateness and Felicity felt his hands respond, gripping her hips as they began to dance to a generic pop remix that neither one would remember the next morning. Try as she might, Felicity could not pull her eyes away from his, hypnotizing her as he pulled her closer - body flush against his.

She let out a little gasp at how hard his chest felt against hers and he smiled down at her with a wicked grin, clearly knowing exactly what that sound meant.

"The blush suits you," she felt him whisper in her ear as one of his hands moved from her hip to her butt, bringing her lower half to his and holding it there. Her mouth gaped open at the brazen nature of the gesture, feeling his erection against her through their clothes.

Taking his cue, drowning in bass and alcohol, she pushed her fingers through his hair, pulling his head down to meet her lips. She went in with insistence and he met hers with a groan, both hands gripping her ass and pushing hard against her as she opened her mouth for him.

Felicity pushed back the thoughts that told her to stop and clung to Oliver, nipping his bottom lip and pulling it with her teeth just to hear him groan. He recaptured her lips and she let out a soft whimper as he sucked on her tongue, digging her fingernails into his neck and shoulder.

The music lowered around them and a voice boomed through the club, "IT'S NEW YEARS EVE, BITCHES." Tommy Merlyn yelled through the mic, garnering a loud cheer from the club floor. "But in 2 minutes, it'll officially be a new year. Who better to talk about a new start than Oliver Queen himself? Last I saw him he was getting a bit handsy with a hot young blonde on the floor, OLIVER."

Oliver had pushed away from her when he first heard Tommy's voice, but his eyes didn't leave hers; they were both catching their breaths and Felicity was trying to find her bearings but failing horribly. The only thing she wanted to do was pull him back to her and wrap her legs around him and drown in his kiss. It wasn't surprising that Oliver Queen was a great kisser; it was just surprising that he was _still kissing her. _She saw his face twitch at the sound of Tommy saying his name and he spun around, immediately spreading his arms and grinning at his best friend - leaving Felicity with whiplash on the emotional swings. She wasn't sure, but something was definitely off about Oliver Queen.

She saw him grab the mic from his friend, "VERDANT! I hope you've been closing out the year in style - maybe some _Sex with the bartender," _cheers erupted as he continued, "or a screaming orgasm, but _definitely _be sure to end with the blow job." Felicity's eyes were wide as he called out the names of drinks and if possible even wider when he winked at a few women in the crowd.

"I've only been back a few months, but thanks for making Verdant the place to be in Starling! Now lets countdown and get back to getting fucked up!" Oliver's smile was wide as he cheerfully counted down from 10, yelling with the crowd; but Felicity knew it was a false smile. The one she coveted was the one he gave her - or almost gave her - earlier; she wanted to feel more of those lips on her skin and as they were yelling _HAPPY NEW YEAR! _Oliver jumped off the stand and walked directly to her, his hands going on either side of her face, pulling her in for another kiss.

This one was different, as if he was releasing the stress of the façade into her body, relaxing against her; he pulled away, still holding her face in his, and smiled at her. "Sorry about that, duty called."

Felicity just nodded, eyeing him curiously as she pushed against him and spoke in his ear as the music started back up, "You seem to be good at faking your persona, Oliver Queen." And as soon as she said that she felt him tense and pull away, looking at her as she just smiled at him knowingly.

"Felicity! There you are," Caitlin yelled as she ran up beside Felicity, "I've been looking _everywhere. _This is Ronnie."

Felicity smiled and said hello, noticing that Oliver was still stunned from her statement a few moments ago but he collected himself and held out his hand to Ronnie, "Oliver Queen, nice to meet you."

Caitlin giggled and leaned against her new friend, "We noticed. You go Felicity!" at that, Felicity blushed again at her friend's brazenness.

"We're actually going to another party downtown, want to join?"

Felicity just shook her head, judging based on the body language that the two probably would get into a cab and go straight home, "No thanks, I'm probably leaving soon anyway, now that New Years is over."

Caitlin boooed at her friend, clearly on the drunk side of tipsy and dragged Ronnie off towards the entrance, waving goodbye to Felicity.

"You're leaving?" Oliver asked, confusion in his voice and Felicity just turned around and shrugged.

"I was only here because of Caitlin and since she's gone, I have no reason to stay one more moment." She headed for the stairs to the VIP lounge to grab her clutch and felt Oliver following her, silently and most likely brooding - she smirked at the thought.

Grabbing the clutch, she turned around and yelped when Oliver pulled her against him unexpectedly, "Let me come with you." He practically growled it at her, his eyes boring into hers as shock replaced desire.

"You know, I'm usually the one with inappropriately timed innuendos," Felicity babbled awkwardly as he gripped her tighter, waiting for an answer.

Instead, she just stood up, pecked him on the cheek, and wrapped a leg around his waist. "You'll have to carry me to the cab, though," she winked at him as he smirked and lifted her up, her other legs now wrapped tightly around his waist and his hands firmly squeezing her ass.

He kissed her briefly and then murmured against her lips, "No cab. My driver will take us there."

"Oh, right. Oliver Queen. How did I forget that you're worth like a bazillion dollars?" Felicity murmured in her confused tone.

"I just have one of those tongues," Oliver said and winked at her as he carried her down the stairs, still entirely wrapped around him.

As he walked to where his bodyguard and driver was, Felicity nuzzled against his neck and kissed it, softly sucking the skin as she rolled her hips against his - grinning against him as she felt his throat growl mid-sentence.

She felt the cold air against her skin and her lips moved to his ear, nipping playfully, "Felicity. If you want me to take you in the car, this is how you do it; I'd rather save that for next time, though."

She pulled away and pouted, then smiled as she realized what he had said, "You already know there will be a next time, huh? Cocky."

He opened the door and laid her on the seat, crawling in on top of her as the driver closed the door, "You have no idea, Felicity Smoak."

Oliver gave her a rare and true smile as he leaned down to kiss her softly.

"Where to, Mr. Queen?" The driver finally spoke up, clearly not amused by what he was having to watch.

Oliver raised his eyebrow at her and she stammered out the address to her apartment, "Your place is kind of intimidating." She offered as an apology for not going to the Queen mansion.

He offered her a baffled smile, "Okay," and he pulled back so she could sit up in the seat; he pulled the seatbelt out for her and clicked it into place. "New Years is kind of a dangerous night, I want you to be safe."

Felicity gaped at him, "Wow, who knew Oliver Queen was such a gentleman."

She saw his jaw twitch as his seatbelt was locked, "I'm not what they want me to be." Oliver didn't move his head to look at her, instead looking straight through the front window, his eyes roaming outside as if he was on the alert for danger.

Felicity, however, could only stare at him in confusion. Oliver Queen, she was certain, was going to be the biggest mystery of all.

And mysteries demanded to be solved.

* * *

Hi everyone! This is my third story, but my first in the Arrow universe; I'm super excited to be writing for my lovely OTP Olicity. This story will likely be around five chapters, so here we go! If you enjoyed this, please let me know here with follows, comments, or PMs! I'm also on tumblr as caishakalianah if you prefer to follow me there =) Thanks!

PS If you're reading this because you followed me for Half of My Heart – do not worry! The next chapter is almost complete. I just had a weird plot bunny in my head with these two from New Year's Eve.


	2. Veiled and Hidden

**Disclaimer:**The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on the CW or DC's _Arrow _intellectual property.

**Behind The Darkness and The Light**

"_**And life is veiled and hidden, even as your greater self is hidden and veiled. Yet when Life speaks, all the winds become words; and when she speaks again, the smiles upon your lips and the tears in your eyes turn also into words. When she sings, the deaf hear and are held; and when she comes walking, the sightless behold her and are amazed and follow her in wonder and astonishment."  
― Khalil Gibran, The Garden of The Prophet**_

The sunlight hit Felicity's bed mercilessly, the unusual heat waking her up; desperately needing more sleep, she remedied the situation by throwing her blankets off and on to the floor. She snuggled back into the pillow and tried to go back to sleep when she heard her text message notification go off.

Groaning, she rolled over to the bedside table where her charger was, realizing as she blindly smacked the wood that it wasn't there. Her glasses were, though, so she slipped those on and against her better judgment, climbed out of bed to find her phone. She knew clearly it was no longer morning as her bedroom window only got direct sunlight during the middle of the day, but the rest of her existence was narrowed to finding her cellphone.

Of course, as she climbed out of bed she realized finally that she was exceptionally naked - not "I'm going to bed in my underwear" naked, but _naked - _and she shook her head, which was cloudy and pounding currently.

She looked around, but didn't see her new dress anywhere so she went into the living room, spotting it on the couch, with her clutch laying on one of the cushions. She snatched it and took her phone out, squinting even with her glasses on, to read it.

_13 new texts_

_4 missed calls_

"Oh crap," she said out loud, wondering what happened. Opening up the messages, Felicity saw that they were all from Caitlin and groaned, remembering they had apparently gone out last night for New Year's Eve.

_Ronnie was a-mazing._

_Hangover breakfast?_

_Where are you?_

_FELICITY_

_Did you go home with Mr. Hottie last night?_

_We didn't go to the party btw._

_I bet you knew that._

_WAKE UP._

_Answer or I'm coming over_

_I don't want to disturb the sexcapades, but you have one hour_

_30 minutes!_

_Okay I'm coming over._

_You better not be dead._

"Shoot snickers," Felicity exclaimed, knowing Caitlin would be there at any moment as she lived close by. She fired off a quick text letting her know she was fine and would talk to her soon, that she had just woken up.

_Sounds like a fun night. Call soon. Xoxo._

Felicity sighed, thankful that she hadn't asked too many questions because, quite frankly, she had no idea how to answer them. She walked back into her bedroom and pulled on a camisole and shorts so she wouldn't be giving her neighbors anymore free shows and walked back to the bed to sit down.

As she looked around, though, she noticed a piece of paper on the other bedstand, with a bottle of water and a travel pack of aspirin. A feeling of dread hit her stomach, realizing what Caitlin was most definitely referring to.

She picked up the note and unfolded it.

_Felicity,_

_Sorry I had to run, I had an emergency I had to take care of. You are and were lovely, Felicity Smoak._

_Thank you,_

_Oliver Queen_

Felicity scoffed at the emergency excuse and threw down the piece of paper. _Oliver Queen. _God, even his signature was elegant; at least he left her easy access to post-hangover fluids and aspirin. Who even carries travel packs of aspirin though? Oliver Queen, apparently.

She shouldn't be too surprised, he did this type of thing all the time - this was nothing unusual to him.

Sighing, she set the water down and padded into the bathroom to start a shower, hoping it would both wake her up and take away the haze of post-drunkenness.

Felicity was in the middle of washing her hair when she yelped out in horror, "Oh no. Oh god oh god."

Oliver Queen. Oliver _Queen. _Of _Queen Consolidated. _Her new job. In one week.

She hadn't put it together before, but standing there with the warm water hitting her back she had and was horrified by it. How could she have been so stupid? Sure he didn't work there yet, but it was only a matter of time. What if he saw her? What would he think? She wasn't trying to get any special treatment, but if anyone found out…

She rinsed off the soap and conditioner and started getting ready for her meet up with Caitlin, hoping that she would have answers for her before she started asking the questions.

* * *

"So? Tell me! I'm dying to hear how _the _Oliver Queen is in bed," Caitlin asked eagerly. They were in the middle of lunch and Felicity had successfully evaded questions about her night thus far by asking questions about Ronnie and Caitlin was oh-so-happy to oblige. Unfortunately, it couldn't last forever.

"There's not much to tell," Felicity sighed. "I only really remember bits and pieces about it." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, because while she did remember a lot of it now that the haze was gone, she felt strangely protective of Oliver.

"Hmph. Well, he sure was locked in on you for most of the night," Caitlin said, shocking her friend.

"What do you mean? I hardly saw him in the few hours we were there, at least until he found me a little before midnight." Felicity was confused, wondering if she had missed something as she pieced together memories of the evening.

Caitlin wagged her eyebrows, "Well I saw him sometimes, mostly he was talking to Tommy - the guy that owns the club, but every other time he was just staring up at you in the VIP booth. I guess he finally decided just to go find you since you weren't coming down." She said the last part with slight accusation as she stared at her friend.

Felicity sighed and fidgeted with the napkin in her lap, "Caitlin, you know I was only there for you. We both got what we wanted though, a last hurrah before we become working girls."

The waiter was standing next to her and gave her a smirk, and Felicity realized what she had said, "I mean uh, not _working _girls, you know - like, for money - no! like in an office, ugh nevermind." Her hands implored the waiter to understand as they went towards him, gesturing awkwardly; he just shrugged and walked away after refilling their glasses.

She buried her face in her hands, "Oh god. Why me?"

Caitlin snorted, "That's just who you are baby girl, and from what I saw your Mr. Queen was quite taken with it. Especially when you were wondering about the faces he makes during sex."

Felicity's eyes bulged out and she gasped, "I said that _OUT LOUD?" _

Her friend just nodded as Felicity buried her head deeper into her arms, mumbling "nonononono" over and over again.

"Listen, you know it only worked in your favor sweetie. I mean, you took him _home _for goodness sakes. And most likely had hot steamy drunk sex for New Years! No sense in being embarrassed about a bit of word vomit," Caitlin smacked her friend's arm a bit as she talked, trying to get her to snap out of the horrified body language. "Besides, you won't ever meet him again. He doesn't even work at the company. Win-win."

Felicity raised her head and nodded at her, accepting the logic in desperation. "Yeah of course, I mean even if he did go to work there, what are the odds he'd actually be in the IT Department for crying out loud?"

* * *

Apparently, the chances were 'extremely likely', Felicity thought bitterly on her third day of her brand new job as she stared with a horrified expression as she saw Queen Consolidated's CEO Walter Steele walking down the hall of the IT floor.

Naturally that surprised everyone, especially Felicity, but what had everyone murmuring was the fact that Oliver Queen followed him, looking distinctly bored as he was introduced to her colleagues. She had spent the last five minutes frantically trying to come up with an escape route, but clearly in a server room all by her lonesome her absence would be missed; she couldn't afford to have her boss thinking she ducks out all the time.

"And this is the server room, home to one of our newest employees - Felicity Smoak," she heard the distinct British tones of the CEO flood in from the hallway outside her room and for a brief moment Felicity was impressed that he knew she was new to the company; but that was quickly shoved away as they entered and her eyes locked onto Oliver's.

His demeanor, which previously had been clearly identifiable as 'bored', shifted once he saw her; clearly he recognized her, but Felicity didn't know what the proper protocol was for meeting your one night stand at work. For once in her life, she decided to remain quiet.

They walked up to her desk and Walter held out his hand; she accepted it and he greeted her kindly, which was unexpected from someone so high up. "I thought it was about time Oliver took the grand tour and met all of the departments of the business, Ms. Smoak."

She nodded and smiled, then turned to Oliver who was holding out his hand with that stoic and bored expression planted firmly on. Felicity stared at his hand for a few moments before she stood up abruptly, "Oh! I'm so sorry, you're supposed to stand when people introduce themselves. I didn't even- I mean what must you all think of me. I'm so sorry." She grabbed Oliver's hand and when he squeezed her hand she felt comfort and reassurance despite his cold expression; Felicity remembered the night they met, how he had squeezed her hand tightly as if gauging her confidence. Now all she felt was warmth and it was as if Oliver was telling her to calm down in a simple handshake.

"It's alright, Ms. Smoak. I doubt either of us are that snobbish," Oliver finally spoke as their hands were still together. He pulled his away as Walter interrupted to ask another question about what brought her to Queen Consolidated.

"Well, money obviously," Felicity said immediately, but her face was shocked at the blasé words, "I mean not _money, _it's just that I just finished my degree at MIT and QC offered me something right out of the gate with moving expenses, and my best friend Caitlin was coming to Starling as well so we just…"

She trailed off as she caught Oliver smirking at her, closing her mouth abruptly.

"Well Ms. Smoak, I hope you enjoy your time here. Walter, we should get going," Oliver said, his voice soft and oh so surprisingly kind.

"You can call me Felicity!" The words were out of her mouth before Walter could respond to Oliver, whose eyes locked on hers for the first time that day. She gulped, knowing she probably broke the cardinal rule of one night stands, but they hadn't even talked afterward. Felicity deserved to be a little awkward about it!

Oliver gave her one of his genuine smiles, clearly against his better judgment as it was almost immediately replaced by his stoic stone face. "Of course. It was good to meet you, Felicity Smoak."

At that, he and Walter left the room and Felicity's face was bright red as she sunk back into her chair, wondering how on earth she ever got Oliver Queen in her bed. He must _really _enjoy awkward blondes.

* * *

A few weeks later, Felicity found herself at Verdant again - against her better judgment, of course; Caitlin had dragged her again so she could hang out with Ronnie, Caitlin's new beau. Naturally though, that meant that Felicity was alone at the bar while they danced. She didn't really feel like partaking in the scene again, since last time went _so well. _Felicity groaned loudly; one of the female bartenders heard her and hummed, "What's wrong with you, blondie?"

She looked up and saw Thea Queen staring at her quizzically, "What am I, a magnet for the Queen family or something?" Felicity muttered, hoping Thea didn't hear it. "Aren't you a little young to be bartending?"

Thea just shrugged, "I'm eighteen which is apparently old enough around here. I just can't drink." She added with a wink.

Felicity just nodded, accepting it; she wasn't really in the mood for a conversation so she just threw down some money and excused herself. Not bothering to look for Caitlin on the dance floor, she went straight for the side exit of the club. It was definitely a sketchy alleyway entrance, but it was closer to the main street where she could find a cab easily.

Wrapped tightly in her coat, she suddenly regretted her decision when she realized how dark the walkway was, and how long it actually would take to get to the street. "Okay, this is okay Felicity. You can do this."

"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone out here?" A slithering voice called out nearby; Felicity yelped as an arm wrapped around her neck and waist and a feeling of dread filled her body.

Her immediate reaction was to scream for help, but she was quickly stifled by a hand over her mouth and the stench accosted her, filling her with more panic as he pulled her towards a more hidden area of the alley. Felicity struggled and wiggled, but was apparently light enough to where he just picked her up with her legs flailing in front of her.

"Stop right there, criminal," she felt a deep voice echo throughout the alley and her body, but couldn't see anything until the man who had her turned around, holding her in front of him as a shield.

"Well if it isn't the vigilante, come to deal with a petty criminal like me - I should feel honored," the voice was close to her ear and Felicity grit her teeth at the noise.

She tried to get a good look at the vigilante as she had only heard brief mentions of him since her move to Starling, but it was too dark and she had other things on her mind - like escaping.

"Let the girl go," the voice sounded out with finality and warning.

The hand that had been over her mouth drifted to her neck and started moving lower when Felicity saw her chance and elbowed him in the chest catching him off guard, and she quickly followed up by stomping her heel into his foot and hearing him howl. That wasn't enough for her and she punched his nose and kicked him right in the balls, "I hope the damage is permanent, you pervert."

As she stood there panting from the adrenaline, Felicity felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped erratically away. "Hey! Don't touch me."

She was able to finally get a good look at the guy that they called the Vigilante, decked out in green leather and a hood; he kept his face angled downwards but she noticed dark paint around his eyes and she assumed that functioned as his mask.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity," that voice melted around her body again and she shivered involuntarily.

Still, she couldn't help but ask, "How do you know my name?"

He shifted as if not expecting that question, "You said it earlier in the alley, I was patrolling and heard you."

Felicity just watched him, tentatively accepting the explanation even though it was definitely creepy that this random guy knew her name.

"Those were good moves you pulled there, maybe you didn't need my help after all."

She brushed the hair away that had escaped her ponytail, "Well, I can't take all the credit. I learned it from _Miss Congeniality; _everyone always hates on that movie, but really It was quite good and clearly the SING method was pretty useful, I'm definitely going to write a letter."

Felicity babbled on about the movie and the sequels and saw his body language shift from uptight to loose and comfortable before he interrupted her, "Do you need a safe ride home?"

She stopped and after a few seconds just nodded yes and he held out his hand and guided her to where his motorcycle was parked in a hideaway in the alley.

"So is this like base of operations or something, why is your bike here?"

The vigilante just squeezed her arm tighter, "It's best if you don't ask a lot of questions."

She just scoffed at him and put her helmet on before climbing behind him. Suddenly Felicity realized what a horrible idea the whole thing was, wrapped tightly around a hard and unknown vigilante _on a motorcycle. _Honestly, where was her brain this evening? It must be PTSD from the attack, she convinced herself.

The bike started up and she yelped, gripping him tighter and burying her head against his back, holding on for dear life. "This is way cooler in the movies, by the way," she said into the built-in headset and she felt rather than heard him chuckle.

After a few minutes, they pulled up in front of her house and she stares at it without moving, "Hey, how did you know where I lived?"

She felt him shrug and she violently shoves off the motorcycle and rips the helmet off, "_Really? _You're just going to stand there and shrug when I ask how you creepily know where I live? Who _are_ you?"

The man in green made no attempt to get off the bike or take his dark helmet off, so she couldn't even see his eyes anymore as he spoke, "No one of consequence."

Felicity just scoffed, "Sure. And why are you doing this, rescuing people and fighting bad guys?"

She heard him chuckle finally, "You ask a lot of questions." and he just stared at her from behind the blackened glass of the helmet, tilting his head.

Felicity suddenly felt self-conscious and shifted uncomfortably, "Yes, I do. And that's not an answer by the way."

He just shrugged and after a few moments he started the motorcycle back up, "Stay safe, Felicity Smoak," and with one more look at her he drove off without any other explanation.

Felicity just sighed, accepting the weirdness of the evening, and unlocked the door to her house. Apparently things in Starling City were going to make her thus far very simple life a lot more complicated, if the past month was anything to go by.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Wow! This got out a lot quicker than anticipated, go me! I think it's because the pacing is a lot faster than my other story which makes it faster to write. These are just simple scenes that will build and build in the next few chapters until the conclusion =) Thanks so much those who followed, but especially those who reviewed. They make me incredibly happy. Feel free to message me here or on tumblr - caishakalianah. Til next time!


	3. Of Lunch Dates and Vertigo

**Disclaimer:**The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on the CW or DC's _Arrow _intellectual property.

**Behind The Darkness and The Light**

"_**My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere. I can dispense then with artificial stimulants. But I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world."  
― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four**_

Felicity twirled her pen in her right hand as she looked at the code for the security system; there had been a mandate a few days ago demanding a review of the building's security and naturally the initial step for the program was on her to-do list. She sighed, placing the pen in her mouth and chewing as she found something odd - her face scrunching up.

"Something wrong?" A voice said from the doorway and Felicity jumped, pen falling out of her mouth at the movement.

Any other time Felicity would have realized who it was - the voice was somehow etched into her body and it responded instinctively; however, it was very difficult to draw her out of her work - especially when it involved finding weaknesses and unraveling mysteries.

So it was that instead of suavely saying hello to Oliver Queen, she instead gaped at him as the sound of her red pen rolled from her lap onto the floor, the soft sound echoing sharply in the silent room.

She watched him move towards her desk, hesitation in every step, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Felicity shook her head, "No no it's alright, I was just zoned out, my mind was on my work," she gestured lamely to the monitors in front of her.

"I admire that about you - that you seem so interested in what you do," Oliver said softly, sincerity rolling off his tongue and it made Felicity gulp audibly.

"Thank you. What brings you to the IT dungeon?"

She watched as he shifted his stance slightly, "Well I thought that the last time we met wasn't really the best time to - uh, you know, talk about that night…"

Felicity quirked an eyebrow, "Oliver, it's been a month, I don't think we need a post-mortem on our one night stand."

"Right, but I feel bad that we never talked afterward, doesn't seem right," he said with an awkward stutter.

"Why come now, and not right after you realized where I worked?" she pressed again, not letting him get away without answering.

She was granted a bright smile from Oliver that took her breath away, momentarily making her wonder why she was delaying accepting his invitation to talk. "You ask a lot of questions."

Sighing, Felicity bent down to grab the pen off the floor, "Yeah, I've heard that one before," her voice was muffled by the desk and when she sat back up Oliver was looking at her intensely.

"I would just like to take you to have coffee. You clearly don't need to talk about it, but I would consider it a great favor to me if you came with me today for lunch."

Oliver spoke with such precision now, whereas before he had seemed nervous.

Although she was still confused as to why, after a month of no contact, he was seeking her out now - however that didn't stop her from nodding, "Alright, I usually take a break at two."

He smiled, but it was smaller now, "Thank you. I'll pick you up then."

And with that he spun around and walked out of her office, leaving Felicity's brain a muddled mess and wondering if she should call Caitlin for a pep talk. She hadn't expected Oliver Queen to give her the time of day every again, but apparently he was full of surprises.

* * *

"Two deluxe Big Belly Burgers, fries, one chocolate milkshake and one tea; can I get you anything else?" The waitress looked at Felicity who shook her head and murmured a 'no thank you', Oliver shaking his head.

"I still can't believe you've never been here before," he said as he unfolded his paper wrapped burger and took a giant bite out it.

Felicity smiled, "Well, Mr. Queen, if you remember I am fairly new to Starling City and my work doesn't leave much time for discovering new places just yet."

She watched as he swallowed and licked his lips, "I confess I had forgotten that part about you, but you seemed to have time to go to Verdant - how'd you find out about that place?"

Felicity shrugged and dipped a fry in ketchup and popped it in her mouth, "Caitlin. She's really outgoing and found a bunch of friends once we arrived and they invited her there for New Years." She waved her hand, "Of course, I was dragged along - as you hopefully remember."

"How could I ever forget?" He grinned at her as she smirked before taking a bite out of her burger.

She let out a groan and spoke through eating, "Oh my guhgd, this is aghmazing!"

Oliver just laughed at her enthusiasm, nodding in appreciation.

Licking her lips, she couldn't contain her questions anymore, "So after five years away, why a big loud nightclub? Seems like you'd want to ease into the social scene a bit…slower."

His face took on a surprised expression and Felicity watched the emotions flicker over his face - he was so stoic, but she had learned she was quite good at reading the changes and clinches of Oliver's facial expressions.

"I was never one to do things by halves and I guess that never changed," he said quietly.

"I think that's a lie," Felicity said bluntly. She watched his surprise and continued, "You didn't seem to enjoy it when we met, it looked more like a chore to you - the way I look when I have to clean my bathroom."

He chuckled despite his tense body language and she ploughed through his expectations, "I saw you, when you had to talk to the crowd that night. You hated it. Just makes me wonder why you're really doing all of this." She gestured to his nice suit, trying to convey what she meant - that he seemed to be wearing a costume of the old Oliver Queen.

Oliver cocked his head and regarded her seriously, "You're quite observant, Felicity."

She just grinned as she took another bite of her sandwich, gesturing with her hand for him to actually answer her question.

He rolled his eyes good naturedly, "When I came back, I felt aimless - I needed a purpose. On the island, every day had a clear goal - survive; when I got back, I didn't have that. When Tommy mentioned the steel plant was closed, I saw a project that I could focus on."

Felicity was silent as she took in what he was saying; she dabbed her napkin on her lips before responding, "Thank you for your honesty."

She watched as Oliver sat up straighter and leaned in, looking at her with intensity. "That's why I wanted to talk, Felicity. I'm so sorry about leaving, I didn't want to, but it _was _an emergency. Thea had called me, frantic - worried because she didn't know where Walter was."

"I thought for sure the emergency line was a lame excuse," she quipped, her eyebrow raised. "More than one eyeball rolled when I read it."

Oliver barked out a hearty laugh, "Yeah I imagine so - that's why I wanted to talk to you in person about it. I didn't want you to have a bad impression of me, especially if I start working at Queen Consolidated like my family wants."

"Well I can't say I would recommend you for it, you're already distracting your greatest IT asset from reviewing your security program," she winked at him, mirth in her eyes. "I didn't think poorly of you as I had no expectations. Oliver Queen, even someone new to Starling, has quite a reputation for the ladies."

She watched him cringe curiously, as if he was uncomfortable with the categorization. He opened his mouth to say something when the waitress turned up the volume on the TV, capturing the attention of the diner.

_"The Starling City vigilante struck again last night, apprehending notorious cartel operator James Carver while leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Detective Lance of the SCPD has indicated an increase vigor in the anti-vigilante taskforce stating, 'His actions are outside the law and are an affront to our country and we will make sure he is brought to justice soon.'" _

Felicity glared at the TV as it switched to another segment, the waitress again muting it; she swirled a fry aimlessly around the paper and Oliver cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"So the city is pretty wrapped up in this whole vigilante thing, huh?" His voice seemed to be light, but Felicity just rolled her eyes.

"I don't know why, normally society frowns on mass murderers." She looked up at him and saw him blanch at her words and frowned at him.

"What do you mean? Most people I know see him as doing a great service, apprehending all those criminals."

She scoffed again, glaring at him and watched as he sat back in his chair, "He's 'apprehending' the ring leaders, sure, but he's killing everyone to get to them. What about those people, their families? Most of them are probably just doing their job, and sure that job is illegal and violence prone, but there's a reason why the justice system exists." She took a deep breath, "Plus he uses a bow which is fairly ridiculous against guns…"

Oliver smiled at her unexpectedly, "Uh huh."

Felicity blushed at him, "Sorry, I tend to ramble…"

"I've noticed. I like it though, it sure charmed me that night…" he drifted off, not finishing his sentence and instead stared at her intently.

The attention was too much for her and she sat up, "It's time to go back, I don't want my boss to yell at me for being late - even if it was to eat lunch with Oliver Queen."

Oliver nodded and she caught a brief flicker of disappointment. They got up and he walked over to go pay their bill. As Felicity watched his interaction with the waitress, she couldn't quite understand why this man worth billions of dollars felt the need to take her out just to apologize for running out. Surely it wasn't the first time he's done that. She watched his lithe body move under the impeccably tailored suit and involuntarily licked her lips, remembering vaguely how his body felt underneath hers.

"Felicity?" She was pulled out of her memories and looked to Oliver, who had a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Me? Oh yeah, absolutely fine, mhm."

"Hey, what you said earlier - about the vigilante - do you think he could be good?" Oliver spoke, asking the question seemingly out of nowhere and Felicity blinked.

"Uh, sure I guess. I mean clearly he's trying to help - just maybe could be smarter about it. He seems really brutish right now, barreling in and smashing things to get his way."

She saw him smirk and nod, holding the door open for her as they stepped out of the diner.

"So..thank you for agreeing to meet with me today. I know it seems silly, but I just wanted you to not have that impression of me. I'm not who I was before," he said it so earnestly that Felicity softened her skeptical nature and stared at his hard face that held such concern for what she thought.

"I never thought that, but I appreciate your apology," she continued to stare at him and decided to bite the bullet. "Would you like to have dinner with me sometime, no pretenses? I mean not that this was a date, but I mean it certainly could be taken as one and you could just have used that as an excuse. Why else would it have taken a month to apologize for that, if you didn't have to work up the-"

Oliver placed a finger on her lips and she just stared at him, blinking. "I can't really…do that," Oliver said, looking pained and struggling to make her understand.

"Oh…okay, well I understand. You probably have socialites and heiresses to court, not to mention Laurel who by all accounts is gorgeous and-"

"No, it's not that. I just," Oliver sighed, trying to make her understand something he couldn't put words to. "My…therapist…suggested I not get involved with anyone for awhile, due to recent events."

He winked and she accepted the gentle rebuke, not trusting herself to say anything. It was ridiculous, after all, she didn't know why she had bothered to ask - that night was clearly a one time thing.

Oliver leaned in and kissed her cheek softly as they stood in front of Queen Consolidated. "Goodbye, Felicity Smoak. And thank you."

She didn't say anything and he turned away to get into his car, signaling to his driver and they pulled away. Finally Felicity turned and went inside; it wasn't until she sat back down at her desk and grabbed her pen from earlier that she realized something was off, and there was something incredibly familiar with the way he said goodbye.

Filing that away for future pondering, she shrugged and went back to work.

* * *

It was later that evening, far past when she should have left Queen Consolidated, when Felicity finally locked her computer and office and headed to the elevators. After the fairly-random lunch date with Oliver the other day she had been struggling to catch up - and focus on - her work. Her mind kept wandering, mulling around his words and goodbyes, trying to figure out why he just felt so...familiar.

_Ladies all across the world, listen up_

_We're looking for recruits_

_If you're with me, let me see your hands_

_Stand up and salute_

Felicity shifted her bag in front of her and dug around for her phone, recognizing Caitlin's ringtone and humming the beat involuntarily.

Hitting the answer button she breathed a hello, simultaneously snapping the button for ground floor as she stepped into the elevator.

"Felicityyyy, are you still at work?"

"..no?" Felicity braced herself to be chided, but attempted to stave off trouble, "I'm literally in the elevator right now and I'm about to walk to my car."

Caitlin tsk-tsk'd at her, "Alright, but just this once! Aside from that, you actually get reception in the elevator there?"

Laughing at her amazed tone Felicity responded, "Yeah Caitlin, we're a tech company, there are wireless boosters everywhere. I'm pretty sure we're our own cell tower and if we're not, we should really look into it."

The elevator stopped moving and she stepped onto the concrete of the parking garage, pulling out her keys.

"You better come straight to my place, you promised you would tell me all about your Oliver Queen lunch date."

Felicity just groaned, "Caitlin! I told you, he made it very clear it wasn't a date - especially after the fact that I _asked him on another one _and he said no. Definitely not a date and definitely not interested."

She listened as her friend babbled on about where they should go for their next date, completely ignoring what she had just said - _not a date. _Holding her phone with her left hand, Felicity went to unlock the door and let out a screech as she glanced at her reflection in the window - one that held not just her, but also the outline of the vigilante.

Hearing Caitlin's worried voice floating up from her phone that was now on the ground, Felicity turned around slowly and picked up the phone, her eyes never moving from the person in front of her.

"Hey Caitlin? I have to go, something came up. I'll call you when I'm on my way to your place."

Before she could hear the response, Felicity ended the call and brought her arm down, attempting to be calm and casual in front of him.

She watched as he titled his head to the side and her eyes caught side of the syringe in his hand and pressed herself against the car, an immediate reaction that she knew wouldn't save her.

"You fear me," his distorted voice spoke in the muted atmosphere of the parking garage.

Felicity momentarily forgot to be afraid as she looked at him with incredulity, "Seriously? You surprise me in the middle of the night while I'm alone, you're holding a very suspicious looking syringe, and I read that not too long ago you just wiped out another string of criminals. Am I not supposed to be terrified of you?"

He shifted and held out the syringe, unassuming. "I didn't come here to hurt you. If I wanted to do that, I would have before. You trusted me that night."

She stood up straighter and glared at him, "Well just because you were helpful once doesn't mean it's a pattern. If anything it's an anomaly based on all the evidence and-"

"I need your help," he interrupted her mid-rant and opened the hand that held the syringe. "There's a very dangerous drug that is being manufactured and it needs to be stopped before it hits the streets - can you analyze the contents of this syringe and try to see where it's being made?"

Felicity took it out of his hands, not wanting to agree to it, but also wanting to keep it away from him - she needed a weapon after all, just in case. "What makes you think I can help you? You don't even know me."

"Felicity Smoak. MIT graduate 2014, with honors, dual degrees in computer science programming and digital forensics. Recently appointed to oversee the entire security system of Queen Consolidated, friend of Cailtin snow." He rattled off facts like he was reading her linkedin profile and Felicity just gaped at him, "I know you can help me with this, but I'm asking - _will _you?"

"You sure know an awful lot about me after just saving me from street thugs that night," her voice was skeptical and she wasn't agreeing to this without him answering a few questions.

"It's possible," he gritted out, grudgingly answer her questions, "That I knew who you were before I saved you, that's why I knew where you lived. It's my job to know who can help me in this city - and you were top on my list."

She just hummed and tapped the syringe, staring at him.

"Alright. I'll help you, but on _one _condition."

He stood straighter and cocked his head, waiting for her to name it.

"You have to _promise _to try to not kill anyone this…mission, or whatever it is." She saw him open his mouth and continued, "I mean it would be amazing if you could stop killing people in general, but this is definitely a criteria for me - no killing while I'm helping you out, got it?"

He closed his mouth and nodded, pulling out a black phone and handing it to her. "This is a burner phone, the only number in it is mine. Call me when you have information for me."

Felicity stared at him wide eyed, barely looking at the phone, trying to figure out why this cold man had come to her of all people - list or no list.

He walked away a few steps, then turned and spoke, "I promise, no killing. Thank you, Felicity Smoak." And at that he just left, leaving Felicity staring at the entryway he had disappeared through, not knowing what to make of her second encounter with the vigilante.

He certainly didn't seem like a killer - though he certainly was a bit stand offish and didn't exactly know how to carry on a conversation - but what would she know? She's never talked to a killer much less agreed to help one.

Felicity resolved to get to the bottom of his nightly missions - no one just starts being a vigilante, there had to be a reason. And as she drove out of the parking garage she again laughed at the absurdity that was Starling City.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hope you enjoyed the chapter! there will be two more =) Just as I predicted! I love this little story. Thank you so much for all the reviews and positive energy.


	4. A Great Fit

**Disclaimer:**The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on the CW or DC's _Arrow _intellectual property.

**Behind The Darkness and The Light**

**_"You don't fall in love with someone because it's convenient."  
― Harriet Evans, A Hopeless Romantic_**

_"Felicity you have got to calm down. You've been to weddings before!" _Caitlin's voice echoed through Felicity's bathroom, having put her friend on speaker phone. She was trying not to overthink things, but she still didn't understand why she had agreed to go to a wedding with someone she had only been out with a few times.

Barry Allen was a nice guy - he was awkward just like her, and they met through mutual appreciation of Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division. Felicity had been finalizing her security system check one evening a few weeks ago and had witnessed him stumbling out of his tiny office.

She had tried to stop the immediate comparisons to the only other guy she had been involved with in the past two years - Oliver Queen - but when he looked at her she had to remind herself that Oliver had made it _very _clear he was unavailable.

Because of that, she had accepted Barry's offer of a first date - even asked him on a second one. It was nice, but they were nowhere near the 'wedding date' stage of a relationship; they weren't even really in a relationship yet.

"Caitlin, I've been to weddings but this one has awkward written all over it!" Felicity brushed her cheeks softly for a hint of blush as she listened to her friend scoff.

_"You'll be fine. Just be sure to make Barry dance with you. He seems like he'd be a good dancer."_

Rolling her eyes, Felicity grabbed her eyeshadow palette, "This is Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance's _wedding. _Do you remember who Laurel Lance is? Ex-long term love of Oliver Queen's life? _The man I can't get out of my head? That I __**slept **__with?"_

A few minutes of silence and a completed pair of eyes later, Felicity was unpinning her hair, letting it fall into curls around her shoulders.

_"How do you look?"_ Caitlin asked, knowing instinctively what Felicity was doing.

"Like I'm ready for a wedding that will totally not be awkward."

_"Well that's a relief. Listen babe, I have to go - you have fun tonight. And give Oliver a dance, too. You __**know **__he'll be great at it."_

Felicity snorted and hit end on the phone, walking back towards her bed to slip on her dress and heels.

* * *

"I forgot, how do you know Laurel again?" Felicity gripped her champagne glass stem tightly as her eyes flitted across the ballroom at the reception. Barry had noted several times throughout the evening that she seemed quite jumpy, but she had waved him off.

"We used to work together her first year in the DA's office. I was a forensics intern and she knew getting close to them would help speed up her cases sometimes. Whip smart, that's for sure."

"That is a good word to describe Laurel," a voice sounded from beside her and she jumped, then turned around slowly.

Oliver Queen was standing next to Barry, looking unfairly gorgeous in a tailored tux with a baby blue tie - the color of the wedding party. Despite being gone for five years, Tommy still considered Oliver his best friend - and despite the history with his bride, he had wanted Oliver beside him.

"Mr. Queen! Hi, how are you?" Barry's eagerness shone through - Felicity knew he looked up to Oliver, a survivor of so much, and smiled softly at it.

Oliver only had eyes for her, though, "I'm wonderful, thank you. I was hoping, Ms. Smoak, that you would like to dance with me?"

She held a question in her eyes, but he stared at her with an impassive gaze that gave nothing away.

Finally, Felicity nodded definitively. "Yes, absolutely," and took his hand, handing her flute to Barry who was still awestruck.

He guided her gently to the dance floor, hand warm around hers, but as he placed his hand on her waist she felt a ripple of heat and desire flow through her - remembering the last time it had been there.

Oliver glided them quietly along the floor, the band sticking to an instrumental number.

"Why did you ask me to dance?" Felicity broke the silence and he continued to stare at her, thinking.

"I wanted to dance with you," he said, as if it was the simplest answer in the world - and it was, but she was still surprised by it.

He pulled her slightly closer as the song shifted to a slow version of _The Way You Look Tonight. _

_Someday, when I'm awfully low_

_When the world is cold_

_I will feel a glow_

_Just thinking of you_

_And the way you look tonight_

Felicity was caught in his intense gaze as she asked her next question, "Is this weird to you, them being married?"

He broke into a grin and shook his head, "No. I was gone a long time, and Laurel and I…we weren't right. I wasn't right for her. The Oliver who was in love with Laurel doesn't exist anymore."

"That seems pretty definitive, you must have been through a lot," Felicity shook her head, "I'm sorry, that was dumb. Of _course _you've been through a lot."

"It's fine, you're right - but to be honest I wasn't a very good person even before I left."

Felicity tilted her head, "Implying that you're still not a very good person?"

Oliver shrugged, "Most would say that."

"The good parts of you are still there - I've seen them."

"May you never know the dark parts, Felicity," he said quietly, making her shudder with curiosity and compassion. He nodded towards Barry, "What about him?"

Felicity smiled, "That's Barry, I met him at QC." She shrugged at the question on his face before gently twirling at his cue, "We've been out a few times. He's nice."

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her, "Just nice?"

"He doesn't…fit that well. Not like you did," Felicity ducked her head and felt a blush attack her face, "Not like that - I mean like a…"

She stopped talking when he stopped and raised a hand to her cheek, "You're blushing, Felicity."

"It's your fault of course," she teased him and wagged her finger playfully at him.

Oliver stepped back a bit and spread his hands innocently, causing her to narrow her eyes. She doesn't understand why he's flirting with her when he had made it clear he couldn't be with anyone. Oliver seemed to notice and spoke.

"Felicity, I'm too damaged to be any good for anyone - especially someone like you." She looked at him, tears surprisingly welling in her eyes as he bent down to kiss her cheek. "Thank you for the dance," he whispered before walking away.

Felicity stood there on the edge of the dance floor as Barry came up to her, "Well I guess I don't stand a chance now, huh?"

She turned to him and smiled sadly, hugging him tightly - his arms comforting her and she let a few tears fall.

* * *

The explosion downtown meant that Felicity got a day off, which she spent curled up on her couch watching reruns of _Psych. _It had been a few weeks since she and Barry had ended their little fledgling romance, but he had quickly become great friends - even Caitlin liked him.

He was on the other end of the couch devouring the Chinese food he had brought with him, complaining every time she shushed him.

"You've watched this show at least three times, and I can verify this episode has been watched at _least _four since I've known you."

Felicity glared at him, but he was undeterred; he grabbed the remote and paused the TV abruptly, "What's with you and Oliver Queen?"

Her annoyance gave way to large and shuttered eyes, "Nothing. We've run into each other a couple of times is all, why do you ask?"

"Probably because a dance with him turned you into a puddle of emotional, teary mess."

She huffed and leaned back, kicking his shin with her feet, "It's not nice to bring up a person's weak moments, Barry!" Sighing, she answered, knowing it would end horribly. "I kind of maybe slept with him on New Year's Eve."

Felicity had closed her eyes as she spoke those words and after too long a silence she finally opened them to see Barry's shocked expression, mouth hanging open. "Don't look at me like that!"

She threw a pillow at him that he dodged effortlessly, "Felicity Smoak I didn't know you had it in you!"

Rolling her eyes, she got up and took his left overs into the kitchen.

"That doesn't answer why you got so emotional, though."

Felicity gripped the counter and took a deep breath, "We went out again, and I thought - it was foolish I know, but I thought we had a connection. But he's rejected me twice, so _obviously _I was wrong."

"Orrrrrr he could be majorly messed up from spending five years on a remote island," Barry, ever the voice of reason, commented.

Felicity nodded, knowing he was right, but she couldn't shake the thought that there was more. The first time she met him, she knew there was more to him than the club owner persona he presented. Then when he dodged her invite to dinner, he had seemed sad; after their dance, he said goodbye almost painfully. She hadn't seen him in the month and a half since - despite working in the same building.

He was actively avoiding her; she knew that with a certainty.

She took a deep breath, "Can we just talk about something other than my weirdly dramatic love life?"

Barry shrugged and unpaused the episode, leaving Felicity heaving a sigh of relief.

* * *

Later that evening, a phone rang on her night stand; it wasn't her normal ringtone, and her body went rigid as she realized it was the phone the Vigilante had given her during the favor he had asked her to do. It had been months ago, but she still kept the phone charged for some reason; hoping he might call again.

She had forgotten about it, but remembered clearly now as she answered the phone, "H-hello?"

The modulated voice of the vigilante filtered through, "Felicity. I need your help again."

She sat up on the edge of her bed and put her glasses on, "What's going on?"

"I'll explain when I'm there. I'll be at your apartment in five minutes. Please."

Felicity sighed and agreed, though her grumbling was made known; being woken up at two in the morning was enough for anyone to be a bit grumpy.

Throwing on a t-shirt and jeans, she slipped on her panda flats just in time for a knock at the door; she unlocked it without looking out the window, "You know, it's weird that a vigilante knocks on doors."

He strode in purposefully, "You really should be safer, I could have been anyone. You need to think more about your safety."

"Hey. I didn't ask for a lecture, do you want my help or not?" Felicity was annoyed, even though she knew he was right - he didn't have a right to lecture her.

Still looking at the floor, he turned to her, "The explosion today wasn't an accident. I need your help figuring out who caused it."

Felicity sat on her barstool as she watched him, taking in his body language - he seemed uncomfortable and nervous. "I've been reading about you in the paper, they're talking about you differently now. Almost favorably."

"Felicity there's no ti-"

She walked towards him, noting that he backed away to keep his face hidden despite the mask, "They also said you haven't killed anyone in at least two months. Why the change?"

He gripped his bow tighter, "A friend showed me I could be better."

Felicity smiled, curious, "Who's the lucky lady, then?"

"Who said it was a woman?"

Stepping closer, "Your voice changed, it got softer when spoke about this friend. Usually means a woman is involved." Felicity didn't understand why she kept toying with this very dangerous vigilante, but she had come to understand him at least in some small part - she felt safe with him.

She also knew he watched over her occasionally, especially on nights when she was working late at Queen Consolidated.

"We need to go. I'll take you to your office, I assume you'll need to use the QC computers."

Felicity snapped out of her thoughts and gasped, "Oh my god, sorry. Of course, people are being blown up! Probably not the best time to play twenty questions."

She felt him chuckle behind her as he followed her out the door to his motorcycle, "Every conversation with you is like playing twenty questions."

* * *

Nearly four hours later and the sun gradually lighting up her office, she was again calling the mysterious vigilante who had slipped out almost immediately after bringing her here. He had made some excuse about watching the streets, but she knew he was wary of being alone with her; it made her smile, thinking she had the power to make a vigilante uncomfortable.

"Hey Arrow, got some info for you."

His voice was distorted again, "Arrow?"

Felicity blushed, thankful he couldn't see it, "Yeah, I figured calling you the vigilante was a bit harsh - needed less syllables, easier to say…."

She drifted off into silence, "I like it. Thank you. What do you have for me?"

Grinning at his approval of her new nickname for him, she gave him the information about a man calling himself Shrapnel that worked in a repair shop in the Glades.

He still hadn't hung up, so she asked him the question that had been bothering her, "So when do I find out who you really are?"

A throat cleared on the other end, "Never."

"But I could be so much more helpful to you - on a regular basis even - I want to help this city, too."

"Felicity, it just isn't a good idea. What I do I have to do alone, it's safer that way. I'm being selfish bringing you in even for this."

She scowled at her computer as if he could see her - and for all she knew, he could - "If you think you're being selfish, why are you still bringing me into this?"

"I need you."

Felicity felt a tiny flutter in her stomach and immediately squashed it. "You owe me a thank you drink for this next time I see you."

A chuckle, "Deal." And with that, the line went dead and she got started on her workday, hoping no one questioned her bizarre work attire before she left.

* * *

Felicity ended up leaving at noon, going home and resolving to sleep until work the next day. She was successful, but when she arrived the next morning with the click of her heels echoing in the hallway, she found a bottle of wine on her desk with a bright red bow around it.

Laughing, she snatched the notecard that rested against it, _"Thank you for your help, have a drink on me."_

It wasn't signed, but she knew it was from The Arrow and smiled.

* * *

Caitlin brought her lunch that day under the guise of being a good friend, but Felicity knew she just wanted the latest vigilante scoop.

"Caitlin, I told you that in confidence! You can't just talk about it where people could hear - I could be arrested!"

She just waved her friend off, "Felicity, whatever. What would they even charge you with, being _helpful?"_

"Yes actually! Aiding a vigilante doesn't get me any awards other than a large bond and jail time!"

Despite her friend's insistence of her innocence, Felicity just smiled and went back to eating her Big Belly Burger.

"So you like him, right?"

She choked a bit on her burger and Caitlin smacked her back to help her out, "Why would you say that?"

Shrugging, "You do though, don't you? I can see it. You get that same look when you talk about Oliver."

Felicity groaned at the mention of Oliver Queen, "I do not!"

She thought about that as she finished her lunch, Caitlin mercifully letting her think in silence. Oliver had kept his distance from her, but he was still in the forefront of her mind - despite only spending a cumulative of two days with him, he was burned on her soul.

The Arrow, however - dark and broody, but just as mysterious - he even said he _needed _her. No one had ever _needed _her. "Oh, crap."

Caitlin just looked up and smirked at her.

"You're right. Caitlin, why must I like unavailable men?" Felicity whined and kicked back her head with a sigh.

A throat cleared in the doorway and she hesitantly looked down towards the intruder. Oliver Queen. Naturally. Caitlin shot her a look and then waved goodbye without saying a word; Felicity made a mental note to either slap her or kiss her for being a good friend.

"Oliver. Hi. Sorry about that, lunch time and all - really I have five more minutes technically, but I mean I guess I can make an exception for you seeing as how you own the company now. Do you actually own it, or is it more your mother? What about Walter? Do you think they have a pren- oh, god, I'm sorry." She smacked her forehead, silently chastising herself about rambling. It was always a threat, but it intensified around Oliver.

He lifted up a thick laptop and handed it to her, "I...damaged this in the Glades the other day. I was wondering if you could retrieve the data on the hard drive."

Felicity took the laptop from him and immediately snorted, "Oliver, these look like bullet holes."

"I was in a bad neighborhood. The place makes great coffee," he shrugged and she tapped the laptop as she met his eyes.

"And here I thought your nightclub had started the gentrification of the Glades."

"It's still in a bad location."

"I haven't anything lately," she said, suspicious without knowing why.

He chuckled and smiled at her, reminding Felicity why he captivated her and made her stomach flutter. "Felicity, we pay a lot of money to keep the only press about Verdant and that area positive."

She dragged a chair next to her at the desk and pointed; Oliver sat down without comment, glad for her help apparently.

Felicity spent the next ten minutes in silent concentration before bringing up suspicious looking files, "I thought you said this was your laptop Oliver?"

"It is, why do you ask?"

Felicity pointed at the screen, "These are blueprints and the files clearly state the user is _not _Oliver Queen." She spun around and her mouth dropped open slightly as she realized how close his face was to hers.

His eyes shifted from the screen to hers at the small breath; her eyes locked onto his lips and she found herself leaning in to kiss him. She was surprised at her own brazen behavior, but Oliver didn't seem to mind as he moved his body towards hers, tilting his head to deepen it.

She opened her mouth in invitation and he abruptly pulled back, letting go of her face and moving the chair away.

"What is going on, Oliver?" Her voice was steady, but the anger was clear as she stared at him. It was clear that he felt something for her but every time he got close he pushed her away.

"I can't - I've told you this before," Oliver pleaded with her, but she was too upset at being rejected again.

"Oliver, you keep saying that - but then you keep engaging with me. You kissed me back - you invited me to lunch - you asked me to dance, _you did all of those things and then you left me each time._"

"I'm sorry. I just want- maybe at some point I can be in a relationship, but not right now."

Felicity stared at him, shocked that he would be this oblivious, "Oliver, you can't keep stringing me along. I don't know what this is," she said while gesturing between the two of them. "But for better or worse we're drawn to each other - and you can't keep dangling what ifs and maybes. I need to move away from this."

Oliver looked at her and tried to speak a few times, but kept going quiet as he looked at her - drank her in. Felicity began to feel even more vulnerable and exposed, but finally he spoke.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I'll stay away from now on." Oliver picked up the laptop and left without speaking another word, leaving Felicity empty and confused - again.

Felicity had asked for it, but thought he would cave and tell her what was really bothering him.

She was wrong.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey look I didn't forget about this story! Sorry it took so long, that's like a recurring theme with me huh? Hope yall enjoy it! Last chapter coming up sooooon. don't forget, you can always pester me via PMs or on tumblr - caishakalianah.


	5. Grease Paint and Secret Projects

**Disclaimer: **The characters are not mine, but the story is. I make no claims on the CW or DC's _Arrow _intellectual property.

**Behind The Darkness and The Light**

_**Your absence has gone through me**_

_**Like thread through a needle**_

_**Everything I do is stitched with its color.**_

_**-W.S. Merwin, "Separation"**_

Felicity spun around in her high backed office chair, staring at the ceiling as she tried to figure out what her next steps should be in the program she had been working on for QC. Despite the strange turn of events with Oliver Queen, she hadn't been bothered by it while working at his company.

He had taken Walter's place as CEO as everyone suspected, but directives rarely came from him to her directly - instead they went through her boss. It appeared as if he was keeping his promise to stay away from her - leaving her confused. It had been what she asked for, but she had expected more push back; Oliver Queen was much more damaged than she had ever thought. He had spoken about it many times, but the fact that he felt so strongly that whatever darkness was in his soul was irreparable made his distance understandable.

Every time she got in the elevator or went down to the parking garage, she thought about him. She watched his interviews about Queen Consolidated, how he spoke with passion about applied sciences and helping Starling City - the place he called home. He shone with a light that belied the words of darkness he spoke to her.

Caitlin blissfully hadn't pestered her since her blow up with Barry - he constantly accosted her about Oliver, Caitlin constantly harangued her about the vigilante.

Felicity stopped spinning and smiled into the air - the vigilante had apparently made it known that he preferred The Arrow moniker as the press and even police had begun to use it when referring to him.

The Arrow had also been absent from her life, making her realize how boring it was without either man. Starling City was great, she was in a job that fit into her future plans, and she had good friends, but without The Arrow or Oliver Queen pestering her at random intervals, she felt lost - and bored.

Finally she gave up on the task at hand and stood up, grabbing her thermos and heading into the break room on her floor to refill on java.

"Hey Fel, you going to the party tomorrow?" Barry was there lounging on a couch as she walked in.

She groaned, remembering it was July 4th tomorrow, "I'm not sure, I have this huge project I need to finish and all my inspiration is dried up today."

Barry rolled his eyes and she just glared at him as she filled up her thermos. "You can't keep hiding away at QC, Felicity, you're coming with us and that's that."

Felicity sighed, knowing he was just concerned about the fact that she was putting so much of her time into her work and barely any in her personal life. But it was here that she felt closest to herself, and it absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that Oliver Queen was barely three floors up and that the Arrow's presence surrounded her when she left for work every night in the parking garage. Both men flanked her as she went about her daily life, the light of Oliver Queen and the darkness of the vigilante.

Though to be fair, the vigilante had been a bit gentler than before - that is, he didn't kill _everyone. _She was sure he killed some people still, but she tried not to track him obsessively so she couldn't confirm it.

"Fine, but only for the food - I have to leave before the fireworks."

"But that's the best part!" Barry exclaimed, then went quiet as she levelled him with a look.

He shook his head as she left the room, heading back upstairs. She pressed the up button and after a few long seconds one of the elevators stopped and opened, revealing Oliver Queen in his three piece suit.

They stared at each other until the doors began to close, but he threw out his hand to stop them - jolting Felicity out and she shook her head and stepped beside him. She couldn't find her voice to speak, but Oliver quietly pressed the button for her floor.

Once it started moving up, Oliver spoke, "Do you plan on coming to our Fourth of July celebration?"

Felicity quirked her head at the question; it certainly wasn't one she had anticipated from him, but she just nodded, "Barry's making me go."

He nodded, "I see. So that's still...you're still with him?"

Felicity sighed and looked at him, "Oliver, that's really none of your business now. You didn't want me."

The elevator dinged and the doors began to open; Felicity quietly blessed the speediness of Queen Consolidated's transit as she stepped on to the floor without looking back.

"I just can't have you," he spoke to her back as she left, quietly - but loud enough that it made her stumble when she heard it, right before the doors closed.

* * *

Felicity sat back down at her desk, her project completely forgotten. Something about Oliver had triggered a memory of the Arrow - she kept noticing that he would move his fingers a lot, especially when he was nervous. It was something she had seen the Arrow do briefly, but it was always around his bow.

She pulled up some reports about the Arrow's dealings in the city, trying to scour them for clues of his identity - but found nothing.

By the time Caitlin showed up to drag her from the office, Felicity was no closer to figuring out the identity of the man in the mask that consumed half of her thoughts.

* * *

It was her first day off in nearly a month and Felicity's body clearly took advantage of it, waking up at nearly half past noon. There was a picnic in the QC park a little more than two hours away, and she had some research to take care of beforehand.

Felicity fired up her tablet as she started breakfast, working through the connections she had made last night. She wasn't convinced, but she knew something tied Oliver Queen and the Arrow together. It was the only way she could rationalize having similar feelings when she was in the presence of both of them; the dark vigilante and the lighter Oliver Queen. Both wore masks though, and she wasn't sure which one held the truth.

She made an auto play of all news reports about the Arrow, nee vigilante, and listened to them as she made her omelet. Nothing she heard was new, or particularly interesting - and all the shots of him were dark and told her nothing new. The most she had was that he was a strong, tall, white guy which described probably 20% of the city.

Fingering the Arrow phone, she made the decision to use her computers at work to trace the phone's serial number to find out the purchaser. They say that burner phones are untraceable, but as far as she was concerned no one was better than her at electronic forensics; not even the Arrow.

It was a good thing she had made it known she wasn't staying at the picnic the whole time. Everyone - mostly - knew she was leaving early to finish the applied sciences project that she had tried and failed to finish the other day. No one knew what the project was, of course, but that was strictly need-to-know. Oliver Queen had requested it himself; at the time it didn't feel too strange of a request, but looking back it should have raised alarm bells.

She didn't know what to trust anymore.

* * *

Felicity arrived with Caitlin and Barry in tow, wearing a summery coral dress that floated above her knees and strappy sandals. Caitlin had made her wear her hair down out of her trademark ponytail and despite the heat; she had to agree that it was the right decision. She looked absolutely flawless - Barry had barely spoken a single word that wasn't fumbling mumbles since he saw her.

It was late afternoon and the smells of American barbeque surrounded them, with a local band enjoying the crowd, playing their assortment of popular covers.

"I'm starving," Caitlin said as she set off for the tables of food, with the two of them trailing behind her.

"Felicity?" She heard her name called and looked up to see her coworker.

"Hey, Mr. Tockman, good to see you!"

The man ducked his head awkwardly as if uncomfortable; he had only worked with her for a few months before he left to take care of his ailing wife. Felicity felt sadness wash over her as she imagined being parted from someone she loved so much.

"How's that special project coming along?" He asked, making Felicity's skin crawl unexpectedly.

She pushed her hair back behind her ear, "Oh, um, I really can't talk about it - I'm sorry Dr. Tockman."

"I see, well I understand. I'll see you later, pretty girl."

Felicity watched him scurry away and turned to go find her friends, only briefly noticing Oliver watching her pensively.

She spent the next few hours lounging in the sun with Caitlin and Barry, laughing and eating copious amounts of barbeque and coleslaw as music flowed around them. They pretty much ignored most of their coworkers, which was fine because it was all families with kids running around besides them. When Felicity finally looked at her phone, it was 7pm - an hour before the fireworks show was set to begin.

She sighed and Caitlin whined, "Felicityyyyyyyyy, don't go - it's only a few more hours. The project will still be there when you get back tomorrow."

Felicity rolled her eyes and looked at Barry for support, "Yes, which means it'll still be _unfinished _tomorrow."

"Please, I'm pretty sure Queen hottie will let this one slide," Caitlin waved her hand in the air and Barry sat back in silence, watching them.

She stood up and brushed the grass off of her, "I don't like taking advantage of my personal relationship with Mr. Queen, Caitlin."

Grinning, "So you admit there's a relationship there."

Felicity just shook her head and waved goodbye; there wasn't a relationship, they hadn't even spoken really in several months since she told him to stay away. But she supposed there was a…something.

She swiped her keycard in the side entrance of the building and headed towards the elevators. The security guards were sparse because of the holiday and the silence made her slightly uneasy. She was eager to get to her safe bubble of an office, surrounded by alarms and computers.

As Felicity collapsed into her chair, she closed her eyes, attempting to center herself before working on her project. It was called the skeleton key and it was by far the most questionable thing she had ever worked on since her freshman year of college. Her boss had assured her that Mr. Queen's request was due to defense contracts and it would not be put to illegal use. She was skeptical, but trusted him - and she loved a challenge almost as much as she hated mysteries.

* * *

An hour and a half later and her office echoed with the sound of the fireworks going off. The show was set to last another half hour; Felicity was debating on slipping on her noise cancelling headphones when the lights on her floor flickered.

Normally she wouldn't worry about it, but this particular floor was set on a different power grid and it was built to ensure no disruption of power. But as she heard the sounds of the computers in her office restarting, she gripped her cellphone and dropped instinctively to the ground, hearing the sound of the elevator doors opening.

"Come on, we have to get to the server room." A voice echoed with three others assenting and Felicity's body trembled.

She heard them walk by her office and after half a minute she scrambled back to grab her tablet, logging into her QC account. She didn't know what they were there for, but if there was even a chance they wanted the skeleton key she had to remove it immediately. She swiftly transferred it to her jump drive and erased all traces of the program on her network when a voice echoed through the intercom system in the ceiling.

"Ms. Smoak, I do wish you hadn't done that."

Felicity trembled and gripped the jump drive harder as the voice continued talking, "All you had to do was sit there quietly, and now I have to have my boys collect you to ensure I get what I want."

She scrambled to the door, knowing the first location they would look was her office. She opened it and ran as fast as she could towards the stairwell, thankful for the flats she had worn instead of heels.

Felicity stopped after a few levels, not sure why she had run upstairs instead of down - counter intuitive, but perhaps that was why - the person after her might not be tracking her.

But as she stepped onto the new floor she knew why she had chosen it - this was the executive floor. Oliver Queen's office.

Suddenly she knew what to do and she tucked herself underneath his desk and pulled out her phone, dialing Oliver's number immediately.

Felicity held her breath as she waited for it to go through, but it finally ended in voicemail. She panicked and redialed, holding in her noises as best she could; she couldn't hear anything on this floor yet, but apparently the person who was after her knew enough about QC to know how to get into the system. It would only be a matter of time before she was found.

The ringing finally ended and his voice hit her ear, "Hello? Felicity?"

All she could do was sob in relief, which immediately set him on edge, "What's wrong? Where are you?"

Felicity's hands were trembling as she tried to speak; there was a sound of a motorcycle revving up as Oliver's voice attempted to soothe her, "Felicity, I'm here. I need you to tell me where you are so that I can help you."

"I'm...in your office. Hiding. There are men here, Oliver…please help."

The call died and Felicity looked at her phone, holding back a hysterical laugh. The cell tower had been shut off in the building; she cursed the day she had recommended that Queen Consolidated set up their own cell tower.

She gripped her shoulders tightly, pulling her arms across her body as she tucked in under his desk, knowing she couldn't do anything but wait.

"I thought you knew better, Ms. Smoak, using your cellphone? You must be desperate. But don't worry, no one will be able to get in the building to save you. All I need is what's inside your pretty little brain and then we can go our separate ways, that doesn't sound too bad, does it?"

The voice surrounded her again, coming from the phone on Oliver's desk. She tried not to panic, knowing he was probably accessing all the phones and intercoms in the building to taunt her.

"We'll find you, Ms. Smoak."

And it shut off, leaving her in terrified silence.

* * *

Half an hour later, she felt an explosion outside and saw a bright light coming from a van in front of the entrance. She stood up to see what was going on when she heard a voice from the door.

"So you're the bitch we've spent the last hour tracking."

Spinning around, she saw three men standing there and grit her teeth, "Not the best at hide and seek were you? But I forget…it actually takes brains. Where's the smart one in the group?"

"He's gone, someone took him out just now. More profit for us, though. Now if you just hand over the program we can all go home happy."

Felicity shook her head and dropped the jump drive to the floor, smashing it with her heel as the leader yelled and gestured to the men. They grabbed her and lifted her up by her arms, but she kicked wildly and connected her foot with the leader's face, hearing a satisfying grunt.

A loud thud hit the wall, turning their heads to it just in time for an explosion of sound that knocked them all to the ground.

Felicity saw the Arrow rushing towards her as the men lay incapacitated momentarily. He put his hand behind her head and looked at her, silently asking if she was okay. She nodded and he went to tie up the other men; she saw his lips moving, but couldn't hear anything but the high pitched noise that still rung in her ears.

She was exhausted and lay down on the ground; after a few minutes, she felt herself being lifted up, her body being cradled against a hard body.

Felicity opened her eyes and stared at him as he looked at her; close up, she was in awe that it had taken her so long to realize. She placed her hand against his cheek and he quietly pressed against it, his eyes closing.

"Oliver," she whispered in awe. She didn't know why it surprised her - in her moment of panic the only person she knew in her bones who could help had been him, but it still…was shocking.

Her thumbs went up to the paint around his eyes, smearing a little underneath it, revealing more of Oliver Queen. It was no wonder she had felt so conflicted about the two men in her life - they were the same person. Oliver's light and the Arrow's darkness; she smiled at him and saw one echoed back, tentatively - as if he hadn't been sure how she would respond.

She tugged his head down, pulling him in for a kiss; Felicity was surprised he let her, but once his lips met hers she understood. This was a homecoming for him; the relief he felt poured into the kiss and Felicity met it eagerly. She no longer needed an explanation for his grief and self-deprecation; the darkness inside of him clouded his entire life.

"Are you two done yet? I can hear the tongue from here," a voice floated from his earpiece.

Oliver broke off, "We'll be down soon, there are three up here we'll need to notify Lance about."

The voice echoed understanding and Oliver smiled at her, carrying her to the elevator, pressing for the lobby. He wasn't even breaking a sweat or breathing heavily, she thought in awe.

Felicity tucked her head into his chest and whispered, "I knew you would come for me."

Oliver kept silent, but squeezed her tighter to him. They had many things to talk about, but whether or not they wanted each other was never going to be one of them.

"I always will," he said finally, as she drifted to sleep in his arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: **The end! If you enjoyed it, please leave a small comment or PM/ask/reblog/rec/etc. Thank you so much for the support! 3


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